Parents sue DOE for school closings
 |
Charging that the Department of Education has broken state law by announcing school closures without community consultation, the New York Civil Liberties Union announced today a lawsuit against the Department of Education in New York State Supreme Court, filed by New York City public school parents and Community Education Council representatives Olaiya Deen, David Grinage and Jennifer Freeman, who regular readers will recognize as an Insideschools’ columnist.
Joining the suit are UFT/AFT president Randi Weingarten and Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum.
“The DOE should not pit parents against parents and students against students,” Weingarten said. Plaintiffs say that students and families are disenfranchised when the DOE elects to close struggling schools, like PS 150 in Brooklyn and PS 194 and PS 241 in Harlem, without consultation — and without guaranteeing families locally zoned schools or access to the charters slated to replace 194 and 241.
“The DOE is doing what it wants and telling us after the fact. That’s not choice,” said Sarita Mendez, a PS 150 parent with two daughters at the school.
“The law requires community approval,” said Weingarten, via a NYCLU press release. “The DOE is showing total disregard for the public’s concerns and the law.”
Subscribe to 
a copy of the legal complaint:
http://www.nyclu.org/files/CEC_Suit_03.24.09.PDF
more info:
http://www.nyclu.org/node/2310
Comment by Daddy718 — March 25, 2009 @ 10:22 am
I feel you are doing the right thing. This is lack of respect for parents and students! Please do something for children diagnosed with diabetes as well. The DEO has failed to meet my diabetic child’s special dietary needs on school premises, despite requests. I need your support. We have to do something before a diabetic child dies at school because their special needs were not being met.
Thank you for listening.
Aura Moody
Comment by Aura Moody — March 25, 2009 @ 8:08 pm
A child with diabetes in my son’s 1st grade class has a full-time nurse paid for by the DOE (this is for a child with type 1 diabetes who must have blood sugar monitored quite frequently). It took the family months of work (and I believe they did use a lawyer) before they were “awarded” a nurse halfway through kindergarten last year, and then some more time to find a wonderful nurse. But don’t give up — it is possible. Don’t stop bugging them till you have what you need.
Comment by a parent — March 26, 2009 @ 8:09 am